


group costume

by WattStalf



Series: Erika's Cosplay Club [9]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Gift, M/M, Multi, its becoming an OT7, part of a series, polyshipping nightmare oh my god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: Kadota and the boys agree to dress up for Erika's party, but she's got plans in mind for all of them, particularly Kadota.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KadotaKyohei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KadotaKyohei/gifts).



> So, this was part of the Durarara!! Secret Sandy Claws exchange, and also a part of my cosplay club series cos the only thing I could think of that worked with Halloween involved Erika wanting them to dress up, and this gave me the perfect gateway to bring Rocchi into the folds.  
> Pretty much every ship that's ever been mentioned in the series is teased her, and most of them are tagged. Erika with Azusa and Kasane is not because it's not as overt, Azusa and Kadota for the same reason, and the Emilia/Shingen/Egor OT3 is hinted at at one point as well, but nobody knows what she's talking about lol. Also, naturally, Rocchi hits on the ladies.

Kadota goes along with it because it's easier than not, and because he was in a particularly good mood when she came begging, and because he's not always fed up with Erika's interests. She's one of his closest friends, after all, and what are friends for? Even Walker isn't entirely thrilled about this, and Saburo only caved because it was three against one, but they're all dressed up now, and she looks so thrilled that it's worth it.

 

"This is so great!" she says. "My group is almost complete!"

 

"Almost? I thought you said you needed us three to complete it."

 

"Did I say that? Well, as it turned out, I needed a fourth guy, but don't worry! I found him, he's just meeting us there." She grins, and Kadota knows her well enough by now to know that feeling nervous is entirely justified.

 

"Who, exactly, is your fourth guy?" he asks.

 

"That's a surprise! He'll be meeting us at the party tonight," she replies, and she doesn't give her secret away the rest of the trip, no matter how much she's prodded.

 

~X~

 

Somehow, he feels like he shouldn't be surprised that it's Chikage, and that's who they run into outside the party, dressed up in a costume Erika picked out for him. She praises him for it, and he tries to act modest, and Kadota finds a spot somewhere on the ground to look at. He isn't really sure why he's doing everything in his power to not make eye contact; something about feeling ridiculous in costume, even though they're all dressed up. Telling himself that he doesn't have a crush on this guy becomes harder when they're face to face.

 

But, eventually, he knows he has to say something, and when he looks back up, he's pleased this his voice is as level as always. "So, she roped you into this too?"

 

"You know me, I can never say no to a lady in need," he replies with an easy grin. "Plus, it's for her club, right? Lots of girls to be found around here!" He gestures, despite the fact that they're the only ones outside.

 

"Then let's get in there!" Erika says. "I wanna see who showed up!" Lately, she's taken to dragging her other friends to meetings, trying to recruit new people at any and every opportunity. Anri had just been the start. As soon as they enter in the room, she brightens, already catching sight of some of her new additions.

 

"Emilia actually came! Oh, and she brought her friend, like she said she would." She points to the blonde woman, happily talking to the incredibly tall person next to her, dressed in something that presumably went with her costumes. "When she told me what measurements she needed for him, I thought she was joking!"

 

"Anri's here with a friend too," Saburo says.

 

"Yeah, that's Saki, remember? She's been bringing her to more and more meetings lately." Erika gets a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I think there's totally something going on between them! Them and they're boyfriends, I mean!"

 

Once upon a time, Kadota would have told her she was being delusional, but when he thinks about how things are developing with his own group, he realizes he's in no position to say something like that.

 

"Oh, and there's Kasane, talking with Azusa! I'm gonna go say hi!"

 

"Kasane?" Walker brightens considerably.

 

"A-Azusa?" Meanwhile, Saburo tries to sound nonchalant. Neither one of them are very subtle about their crushes, and the fact that Erika has been known to make eyes at either girl only makes things more interesting. Kadota wonders how something like that would work, given their arrangement, but that only causes him to think about his own feelings regarding the man standing next to him.

 

"Looks like we just got ditched," says Chikage with a chuckle.

 

"They'll be back," he replies, wondering what to do now that they're alone. It isn't hard to keep acting like himself, despite whatever the hell feelings are developing, but he isn't sure if he's supposed to do something different, to test the waters and see if there's any room for change.

 

"Karisawa sure has some nice friends," the other man says, surveying the room in appreciation. "I don't even know where to start."

 

He thinks he should be bothered by this, but he isn't. Chikage's flirting, which should be enough to discourage him, is just another part of the guy, and if Kadota even has a chance with him, he doesn't think that's something that would necessarily get in the way. He's admitted to himself that he likes Chikage, and that, if there was something between them that that would be pretty nice, but he hasn't the slightest idea where to go from there. Easing into a sort-of relationship with his friends was confusing enough, but now, he thinks that might have been so easy that it spoiled him.

 

Before he can think of something else to say, Erika turns around to yell for them. "Where are my other two accessories?" she calls, and they make their way to where she and the others are talking. Kadota isn't sure if he's relieved or disappointed.

 

"Not too bad," says Azusa, appraising the two of them with the rest of her group. "You weren't kidding when you said you managed to pull together the perfect butler harem."

 

"Well, I wouldn't say they're perfect! I couldn't convince a single one of them to stay in character for the party," she says, shaking her head. "That might change when I get them alone tonight, though!"

 

"Erika!" Saburo visibly blushes, choking her name out in surprise.

 

"You can't go around saying stuff like that," Kadota grumbles.

 

"Say, Karisawa, am I invited to this little after party?" asks Chikage with a smirk.

 

"Do you even need to ask? The more the merrier!"

 

"There _is_ no after party," says Kadota, even though he's sure everyone else realizes Erika is just joking around.

 

"Well, you know, it's kind of rude to talk about something like this in front of these ladies and then not invite them," he says. "Could I get your names?" He turns his attention entirely to Azusa and Kasane, and ends up getting both of their numbers fairly quickly.

 

While he's distracted, Erika says, "Hey, Dotachin, can you come help me with something for a second?" Neither Walker nor Saburo seem to notice, both watching the exchange between Chikage and the girls with confusion, and Kadota goes along with her.

 

"So, what did you need?"

 

"Nothing, I just had to get you away to let you know that there's nothing to worry about!" she declares. "You must have guessed that I had ulterior motives for inviting Rocchi along!" He feels a sense of dread creeping up on him. "Well? Didn't you?"

 

"What are you getting at?"

 

"Don't play dumb with me! Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you guys alone together for real before the night's over."

 

"What? No, don't do anything like that, you don't-"

 

"I said don't worry!" she interrupts, before turning to bolt back to their group, not giving him a chance to genuinely protest. He sighs to himself, knowing that there isn't much he can do to convince her otherwise.

 

~X~

 

The party passes on without much incident, but Kadota is ever on guard from that point on. Erika tries to get them alone together a few times, while subsequently trying to play matchmaker with Azusa and Saburo, and get some time for herself and Walker with Kasane, but Chikage decides to mingle and Azusa wants to stick by Kadota. He thinks that he just might make it out of this night just fine, and actually lets his guard slip as time goes on.

 

By the end of the night, he's actually had a lot of fun, and when it's time for them to load up and say their goodbyes, Chikage has stayed behind (while Kasane has somehow gotten roped into coming with them). They're just settling into the van when he hears Erika say, "oh, no! I forgot my coat!"

 

Walked is talking to- or at least trying to talk to- Kasane, and Saburo has already started the van. Erika is more than capable of getting her own damn coat, he knows, but Kadota's had a good time, and he can appreciate her attempts to hook him up with Chikage, no matter how unwanted they may be, so he offers to go back in and get it.

 

"Back so soon?" asks Chikage, who is chatting up Emilia and her very tall friend. She looks slightly bewildered, as she always does when trying to keep up with conversations in Japanese.

 

"Erika forgot her coat," he explains before going to find where she left it. When he passes back by, Chikage says his goodbyes to Emilia and joins him.

 

"She was married, can you believe it?" he asks. "With a cute face like that I thought she had to be around my age! She said something, I don't know what she meant, like 'only a little room. My husband's friend is my friend!' Or something like that, kinda weird-"

 

"What the hell?!"

“Huh? Where'd your friends go?”

“That's exactly what _I'm_ wondering,” he says, already having a fairly good idea.

He gets his phone out and calls Erika, but all she says is, “See? I told you I would make it happen! Enjoy your night!” She hangs up before he can reply.

“I can't believe this,” he mutters.

“What's going on?” asks Chikage. “Did they ditch you or something?”

Sighing, he says, “Yeah, but I have no idea why.” That part is a lie, but he doesn't feel like explaining to Chikage why Erika is trying to play matchmaker. “Guess I'd better get to walking.”

“Hey, wait, no need to do something like that,” he replies. “I had to get here somehow, too, you know. If you want, I can give you a ride home.”

This is exactly what Erika was after, and a part of him doesn't want to go along with it just because of that. But walking home is going to take forever, and, as much as he wants to deny it, he  _does_ want Chikage to give him a ride home, Smiling, he says, “Sure it won't be too much trouble?”

 


End file.
